About Leslie Waters

Born and raised in St. Petersburg/Gulfport, Pinellas County, Florida; Graduated from Florida State University, B.S., M.S.; Supreme Court Certified Mediator; Senior Professional in Human Resource (SPHR) Certification

Human Resources, Corporate, Government Relations, Community Affairs, Political Action and Strategic Marketing Management in Florida. She traveled extensively throughout Florida and worked side-by-side with employees from Pensacola to Miami.

House of Representatives:  

Speaker Pro-Tempore; 

Chairman - House Insurance Committee; Chairman - House Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations; Co-chair, Joint Select 

Committee on Hurricane Insurance 

Mayor

Councilor, Vice-Mayor;  Interim-Mayor
Suncoast League of Cities; Pinellas County Mayors’ Council, Legislative Liaison; Florida League of Mayors Board of Directors, Legislative Co-Chair; 

Florida League of Cities, Advocacy, Co-Chair

City of Seminole is dedicated to excellence, professionalism, and integrity in the delivery of community services for an enhanced quality of life for those living, working, and visiting our community.  At the suggestion of Mayor Waters and approval of Council, was designated a Purple Heart City with a very active Red-White-Blue initiative thriving throughout the city.   

City of Seminole is a long-time Tree City USA.  Seminole has had a long partnership with St. Petersburg College; Seminole is one of 412 cities in Florida and is larger than over 50% of the cities in the State; Budget approx $17 million annually; approx $29 million recent increase in citywide taxable value from new construction and redevelopment; NO millage increase since 1996; 18,000 population; staffed by 150 full-time positions; 200 recreation programs; hosts 20 annual events; emergency response to over 12,000 emergency calls per year by Seminole Fire & Rescue; library hosts 1,000 annual programs; annual Citizens Academy; annual Hurricane Preparedness Forum   

Experienced Washington DC & Tallahassee Lobbyist; Facilitator of “good government”; motivational / educational programs: “How to Advocate Your Government”; “Building Business Relationships with your Elected Officials - From City Hall to the Halls of Congress”; “Know Your Government – Up and Down the Ballot”; Campaigning to Win” Workshops; “One-On-One Campaign Coaching” for Judicial, Municipal and Legislative Candidates, and supporters; “Listen-up: How to Improve Your Communication Skills”; “American Flag Etiquette – Rules and Regulations”; Historical presentations – “Chesty Puller: A Man’s Man, A Marine’s Marine,”  “The Doolittle Raiders of World War ll ,”  “The Fly Girls of WW ll,”  “The Nurses of Vietnam,”  “Kitchen Table Patriotism,”  “The Story of the Poppy,”  “Mr. Republican, Congressman Bill Cramer,”  “The Chairman, Congressman ‘C.W.’ Bill Young,”  “Dr. Martin Luther King, Nobel Prize Peace /Civil Rights Activist” and “Ms. Rosa Parks, the First Lady of Civil Rights.” 

Washington DC - International Consultant/Trainer/Facilitator; Working with Political Parties, Candidates, Political Activists, Elected MEmbers of Parliament, Provincial & City Officials; IRI GLOBAL - Women's Democracy Network: Indonesia – “How to be Effective Members of Parliament”; Burmese Political Exiles in India / Thailand - “Team Building and Dispute Resolution": Sri Lanka – “How to Advocate Your Government.”

Morocco and Egypt - “Campaign Workshops,” Egyptian Women running for Parliament; Amman, Jordan - “How to Be Effective Local Government Officials”; Juba, Sudan – “How to Develop a Gender-Sensitive Legislative Agenda in Southern Sudan"; Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo and Banja Luka); “Effective Communications, Coalition Building.”

Somaliland, East Africa – “How to be Effective Elected Leaders”; Chisinau, Moldova – Moldovan Women Leaders training; Tbilisi, Georgia – Georgian, Ukrainian, Moldovan women leadership training; Mongolia – Recognizing Mongolian women expanding interest in political office…”How to Win Political Campaigns.”; Tunis, Tunisia, North Africa – Libyan women municipal leaders. Had 3 assignments.